North Korean Propaganda Update: Dogs of War Edition

8 Apr 2013

North Korea has certainly been crying havoc for the past month, so it’s probably appropriate that they let slip the dogs of war in their latest propaganda video:

On the Sexton Scale of Communist Propaganda Humor Value–where 1 is ‘eye-rolling amusement’ and 5 is ‘hilarious fascist self-parody’ I give this one a 3. The paper faces taped to dummies is always a winner. Nothing says “bad ass” like dogs tearing into a image of your enemies printed on an HP inkjet.

Over the weekend North Korea released several other new propaganda clips, some featuring Kim Jong Un himself. In this one the dear leader watches a group of soldiers practicing martial arts set to what sounds like 1970s elevator music. I give this one a 4 for the music and for the shots of soldiers throwing themselves on the ground as part of their training.

There’s another clip in which Kim watches two hovercraft make an assault on a beach. It’s a 3 for the voice of the narrator alone but I’m upgrading it to a 4 based on two moments. First, at 1:30, there’s a soldier who executes a perfect James T. Kirk shoulder roll onto the beach. Second, at 3:25, a female soldier who has just met the dear leader bursts into sobs as he leaves.

Not everything in these clips can be taken lightly. Consider the disturbing image that briefly appears in this clip: